Dark Finance

Over the last decade, a single innovation has massively fueled digital black markets: cryptocurrency. Crime lords inhabiting lawless corners of the internet have operated more freely—whether in drug dealing, money laundering, or human trafficking—than their analog counterparts could have ever dreamed of. By transacting not in dollars or pounds but in currencies with anonymous ledgers, overseen by no government, beholden to no bankers, these black marketeers have sought to rob law enforcement of their chief method of cracking down on illicit finance: following the money.

In the beginning was Josh Levine, an idealistic programming genius who dreamed of wresting control of the market from the big exchanges that, again and again, gave the giant institutions an advantage over the little guy. Levine created a computerized trading hub named "Island" where small traders swapped stocks, and over time his invention morphed into a global electronic stock market that sent trillions in capital through a vast jungle of fiber-optic cables.

The Bitcoin Enlightenment takes the listener on a journey through the history of money—its rise, its failures, and the hidden forces shaping our financial world. Mexican billionaire and visionary entrepreneur Ricardo Benjamín Salinas Pliego pulls back the curtain on fiat currency, exposing it as a system built on deception, fraud, and endless inflation. Providing a unique perspective on central banking and government financing, he urges listeners to rethink their financial future.

In this important and revealing book, Jamie Bartlett takes us deep into the digital underworld and presents an extraordinary look at the Internet we don't know. Beginning with the rise of the Internet and the conflicts and battles that defined its early years, Bartlett reports on trolls, pornographers, drug dealers, hackers, political extremists, Bitcoin programmers, and vigilantes - and puts a human face on those who have many reasons to stay anonymous.

When Jefferson acquired the Louisiana Territory, he envisioned an "empire for liberty" populated by self-sufficient white farmers. Cleared of Native Americans and the remnants of European empires by Andrew Jackson, the Mississippi Valley was transformed instead into a booming capitalist economy commanded by wealthy planters, powered by steam engines, and dependent on the coerced labor of slaves.

Coffee is an indispensable part of daily life for billions of people around the world - one of the most valuable commodities in the history of global capitalism, the leading source of the world's most popular drug, and perhaps the most widespread word on the planet. Augustine Sedgewick's Coffeeland tells the hidden and surprising story of how this came to be, tracing coffee's 500-year transformation from a mysterious Muslim ritual into an everyday necessity.

For the past few decades, Americans have spent billions of dollars on personal finance products. As salaries have stagnated and companies have cut back on benefits, we've taken matters into our own hands, embracing the can-do attitude that if we're smart enough, we can overcome even daunting financial obstacles. But that's not true. In this meticulously reported and shocking audiobook, journalist and former financial columnist Helaine Olen goes behind the curtain of the personal finance industry to expose the myths, contradictions, and outright lies it has perpetuated.

In Dark Towers, award-winning journalist David Enrich reveals the truth about Deutsche Bank and its epic path of devastation. Tracing the bank's history back to its propping up of a default-prone American developer in the 1880s, helping the Nazis build Auschwitz, and wooing Eastern Bloc authoritarians, he shows how in the 1990s, via a succession of hard-charging executives, Deutsche made a fateful decision to pursue Wall Street riches, often at the expense of ethics and the law.

The American supermarket is an everyday miracle. But what does it take to run one? What are the inner workings of product delivery and distribution? Who sets the price? And who suffers for the convenience and efficiency we’ve come to expect? In this rollicking exposé, author Benjamin Lorr pulls back the curtain on this highly secretive industry.

Elubatel: A Primal Power of Wealth and Responsibility offers a transformative guide to breaking free from financial limitations by working with the powerful spirit of Elubatel. This book dives into the practical and metaphysical aspects of wealth creation, focusing on clearing not just financial debts but the deep-seated blocks that prevent true abundance. Through personal stories, profound lessons, and actionable steps, the author shares how Elubatel's influence can help you face uncomfortable truths about money, guiding you to take responsibility for your financial reality. It’s not ...

Unlock the Secrets of Political Influence: Discover the Hidden Forces Shaping Our World In a world where power is often wielded behind closed doors, The Dark Money Machine: How Hidden Donations Shape Markets and Politics offers an eye-opening journey into the clandestine realm of political finance. This compelling investigation unveils the intricate web of anonymous donations and shadowy networks that shape policy, elections, and ultimately, our lives. Delve into the underworld of dark money, where wealthy individuals, corporations, and secretive entities thrive, manipulating political and ...

DOWNFALL, a boxset of over 800 pages that speaks of ambition, revenge and justice... London made him their most brilliant financier. He betrayed them all… Now Henry Crowne must Pay The Price. Henry Crowne, a successful City banker, hid his financial terrorism in plain sight. When Nancy Wu, his eminent Queen’s Council’s friend saves him from the abyss, Henry has a choice. Can he find redemption by lending his expertise to investigate insoluble cases? Or will he have to give much more… his life perhaps? DOWNFALL is the first three-book collection in the HENRY CROWNE PAYING THE PRICE ...

A Russian conspiracy targeting the White House and only one man can save it from falling… Henry Crowne, former rebel financier, now British Intelligence agent, infiltrates a network of ruthless international oligarchs seeking to control the White House. Their plan? To run a string of systematic cyber-attacks and blackmail high-profile political figures. The intelligence operation to defeat them takes Henry from Washington to London and Moscow. There, he navigates the perilous corridors of power, always watched by the beautiful, yet dangerous, Tatiana. When Tatiana defects to the West to ...

A kidnapped tech genius holds the balance between war and peace in the Pacific… Can one man free him from China’s grip? Henry Crowne, disgraced financier, now British Intelligence agent, lands with a US SEAL team in one of the most challenging regions of China. His new mission… to free a kidnapped tech ace whose ground-breaking innovation will change the face of war. Time is running out before the man reveals his secret to his brutal abductors. Captured and thrown into the same dark-site camp as his target, Henry must resist lethal interrogation, prison gang challenges, and the greed ...

LIFE ON THE LINE, a box set of over 1000 pages that speaks of political deception, espionage, and the courage to fight against all odds. Henry Crowne, repentant rebel financier, now British intelligence agent lends his unique skills to infiltrate lethal organisations around the world. From the Middle East to Russia and finally the most dangerous part of China, Henry fights to atone for his dark past. Now he must decide how far he is prepared to go to succeed in each mission… cross into enemy territory from where few have ever return. LIFE ON THE LINE is the second three-book collection in...

Though mankind has traded tangible goods for millennia, recent technology has changed the fundamentals of trade, in both legitimate and illegal economies. In the past three decades, the most advanced forms of illicit trade have broken with all historical precedents and, as Dark Commerce tells, now operate as if on steroids, tied to computers and social media. Author Louise Shelley examines how new technology, communications, and globalization fuel the exponential growth of dangerous forms of illegal trade and considers diverse ways of responding to this increasing challenge.

The failed assassination of a whistle-blower, a link to a new terror group in London… only one man holds the answer. With the assassination attempt on a high-finance whistle-blower former QC Nancy Wu and Inspector Jonathan Pole race to defuse a jihadi attack on London. The only man to help them: Henry Crowne. Disgraced international banker and broker of terrorists’ funds, Crowne lies in jail but sees in his new mission the means to escape. Danger escalates as Crowne and British Intelligence MI6 play their own deadly double game. Now Crowne must decide whether he is willing to give much ...

A savage Middle Est terror group threatening the free world, a war reporter held hostage… only one man to bring them down and bring her out! Henry Crowne, repentant financial terrorist has escaped London’s top High-Security prison with the unexpected help of MI6. His mission… infiltrate an unstoppable terror group that wrings havoc in the West and will destabilise the Middle East further. Henry’s perilous journey leads him to the group’s centre of power in Syria and Iraq. His aim, to meet the elusive man who runs a merciless war against those who oppose him and gain his trust. ...

A jailed financial terrorist. Two high-profile bankers assassinated… The most brutal international scandal is about to explode and bring the world to the brink. With the suspicious suicide of two high-profile City bankers, former QC Nancy Wu and Inspector Jonathan Pole uncover a lethal scandal that implicates UK government, Bank of England, and London’s top banking executives. Only one man can help them solve the case: Henry Crowne. Once a brilliant financier now a guilt-ridden prisoner, Henry lies imprisoned in the obscure High Security wing of Belmarsh amongst spies, and terrorists. ...

Financier. Criminal. Now... MI6 Target. As the global financial system teeters on the edge of collapse, London City financier Henry Crowne watches his empire crumble. His firm is under siege from a hostile takeover, his City allies have turned against him, and the secrets of his past as an IRA asset are no longer buried. When a rival’s private jet explodes mid-flight, Henry becomes the prime suspect. Hunted by the law, betrayed by those closest to him, and manipulated by MI6, he’s thrust into a deadly conspiracy of political deceit, covert intelligence, and hidden money trails. Each ...